


The Concierge and The Shadow

by Duch3555Jynx



Category: The Blacklist (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:47:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25646041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duch3555Jynx/pseuds/Duch3555Jynx
Relationships: Elizabeth Keen/Tom Keen, Raymond Reddington/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	1. Intruders

It was a combination of the sound of a buzzing phone and someone banging on the front door that roused Rena from her restless slumber. At first, she attempted to ignore it. Who could be trying to contact her at midnight? Irritation stirred within her as she rolled onto her side reaching for the noisy little contraption. She had been trying to get an early night for once. _Sod’s law, this is_. Grumbling she tossed her phone at the floor, it bounced and made a protesting clattering sound. It lit up once again but she couldn’t be bothered to look at who was ringing. Rolling back onto her back she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to claim her again. Eventually, the phone stopped. The knocking stopped. She was just beginning to relax when she heard something. She sat bolt upright in the bed and grabbed browning nine-millimetre semi-automatic gun from beneath her pillow. Carefully, she slipped out of bed, hastily making it before grabbing her phone, switching it off, clambering stealthily onto the wardrobe and into the vent. She had just closed it when she heard the sound of the main door opening.  
Rena waited. And waited. It seemed like she was waiting for eternity. And then she saw it. Her bedroom door handle twisted and the oak creaked open slowly. Rena concentrated on regulating her breathing. She wasn’t afraid. No. She could handle intruders. Even armed and professional assassins. They were child’s play. What Rena felt caused her hands to tremble. It caused sweat to bead on her brow. It caused warmth to swell in her chest, exploding in ribbons within her body like little fireworks. Rena called it mild anger. Elizabeth called it rage. She’d always been able to hide easily. Rena supposed it was a risk, hiding in the vents. She could only hope they weren’t trained professionals who’d studied her. If they were they’d check the vents. If they were amateurs, then they’d be sloppy enough to forget. The dark-haired woman frowned. Come to think of it she didn’t know who was hunting her. It could’ve been the police. But then again cops didn’t break in stealthily. They much preferred making a loud, heroic and dramatic entrance. Shouting and badge flashing, as she called it. No, whoever it was, they weren’t the police. That narrowed it down to; trained assassins, mercenaries, spies, burglars…. or _him_. But Rena knew well enough the last thing he would do is send people to harm her. In fact, she could remember the last time someone threatened her life. They’d been found dead off the coast of South Africa three mornings later. So that scratched him off the list. It couldn’t have been spies. Well, it could. But not British spies. She was a British spy. And if she found that any of her colleagues had snuck into her apartment at this time of night she’d torture them on principle.  
Unfortunately, she didn’t have much time to think any further as the first intruder appeared. He was all in black. Cargo pants, weapons vest hidden beneath a jacket. She caught a glimpse of the shining strap of bullets her sported. Average height, muscular, he sported a head of bright red hair. She could see it in the moonlight. Not a spy then. Spies were far subtler than this man. They were trained to blend in. If she’d been in his place she’d have posed as a drunk neighbour who’d forgotten her key after a wild night out with her friends. The weaponry he sported was superior to the average burglar so he wasn’t one of those. So, a mercenary. Or an assassin. Assassins tended to work alone.  
“Gustaff! Wilhelm!” he hollered in a thick German accent. She watched as he switched the main bedroom light on, surveying the room. Pride swelled in her belly at how immaculate and unlived in she’d managed to make the room look in a matter of seconds. She heard heavy footfalls from the corridor and two other men entered the room. “She’s not here. She must be out. Or she’s gone away.”  
“Then we search the place.” Another thick east European accent replied. “Be careful though, in case she returns. We don’t want to leave a trace.” No sooner had he finished his sentence than she heard him and the other man leave the room, the door creaked slightly as they left. _Mercenaries_. She waited for a couple of minutes until he was just in front of her and concentrating on her dressing table before she made her move.  
Lithely she slipped out of the vent at the speed of a bullet and kicked the first man in the face knocking him out. His head hit the mattress and she released a small breath when no sound had been made. Reaching forwards, she grabbed his cuffs and tied him to the bedpost. Her gentle hand frisks him until she finds his ammo and taking it for herself. Silently she padded over to the door and peeked out into the living room. She could see two other men. One with blonde hair and brown eyes scanning the fireplace with hunting eyes. Another tall dark-skinned with dreads that had been pulled into a ponytail, stood guard. She begins to pad out into the dark hallway. Perfectly navigating the floor to avoid the squeaky boards. Screwing the silencer onto the pistol she took from intruder number one she crouched down in the darkness and scraped her nails against the wall. She was close enough to the guard than she was to the man searching the fireplace. She drew his attention. He rolled his eyes and approached thinking it was a pet of some kind. A dog or a cat. She was crouched low enough for him to think so. She shifted a little to the side in the darkness. He walked past her towards the bedroom and she promptly stood to full height and followed him into the room. Upon seeing the chained up body of his fellow comrade he turned to alarm the final intruder but before he could open his mouth Rena pressed the silencer to his forehead and smiled, pulling the trigger. Intruder number two fell back and landed on the body of intruder number one, who opened his eyes and gasped quietly at the sudden heavy movement on his body. Rena sighed and gritted her teeth before lifting the pistol again and pressing it against his chest, fired. Once again she ventured out into the dark corridor and slid along until she was at the barrier where the light from the living room meets the shadows of the corridor.  
Intruder number three was still scouring the fireplace. She knew exactly what he was looking for. But she’d moved it. That little box with her whole life inside of it. She’d shifted it on a whim last Tuesday and filled the secreted space with cement. _She always said I had great instincts_. Slowly she encroached. About four feet away she lifted herself up to stand on a table. He still hadn’t noticed her. Knelt on the floor looking up into the fireplace with frustrated searching eyes.  
“Looking for something?”  
He spun around, his gloved hands un-holstering his weapon. But he was slow. She was already aiming at him.  
“Where did you come from?”  
“I should be asking you that. It’s my apartment.”  
“We checked all the rooms.”  
“Not thoroughly enough. You’re sloppy.”  
“Where are my men?”  
“Don’t worry. The first shot killed them.”  
“Where is it?”  
“Where’s what?” She cocked her head to one side, an innocent expression masking over her features.  
“Don’t play coy.”  
“Well then, why don’t we play twenty questions. I’ll answer your questions if you answer mine.”  
“I don’t think –”  
“No. You seem to have overestimated your authority over me. You do not have the upper hand. I do. You’re alive because I want you to answer my questions. But rest assured, once I have them I am going to kill you and you can join your buddies in my bedroom.” She pointed her pistol, aimed and shot at his right shoulder. The noise that ripped from his throat was comical enough to make her laugh. His head fell back, eyes wide in exquisite agony and his jaw was agape in pain. Rena thought it to be extremely funny. She stifled a giggle.  
“Let’s try this again, shall we. Question one. What is it that you’re looking for?”  
He clamped his mouth shut and grunted in pain a few times before calming down enough to answer her. Rena relaxed her stance on the table and waited patiently, she eyed him expectantly eyes scanning over his body pondering on where next she should shoot him. She stifled a snort at the glower he sent in her general direction.  
“The box.” He ground out as he grits his teeth. “The box you kept behind the fireplace…. clever little bitch moved it, didn’t you?”  
“Obviously.” She rolled her eyes. “Question two. Why would it be of any interest to you?”  
“My employer is very interested in it. He’s very interested in _you_.” A horrid grimace of a smile stretched his normally handsome face and it sent an unpleasant chill through her. She stiffened her stance again.  
“Are you supposed to be smiling or grimacing? Because I really can’t tell right now. It would be such a shame if you were smiling. You’re quite handsome when you’re not smiling.”  
He spat at her. So she smiled sweetly before shooting him in the left knee cap. He cried out much louder this time. Unfortunately, she couldn’t relish it as much. There was a little whimper through the walls and she frowned, mumbling a curse under her breath.  
“I would very much appreciate it if you could be quiet. The neighbours have a new-born baby and it takes hours to get that little brat to shut up when it starts howling.” She waited for a moment when he quietened down again and the whimpering through the wall stopped. A bright smile of triumph stretched across her features. “Question three. Who are you working for?” The intruder bit his lip and glared defiantly at her. She scowled, “You’re a slow learner. Remember to keep quiet now or it’ll be more painful for you. Breathe deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth, that’s supposed to help.” She shot his right hip. He fell back onto the nearest wooden chair. She nodded a little, a feigned expression of sympathy flitted over her. She studied him. Bloody gushing from his shoulder, knee and now his hip. Sweating profusely above his brow. She tutted a little, “I’m so very sorry about all this but you’re not doing yourself any favours. If you would just answer the questions I wouldn’t have to make your life more painful than it needs to be…. it’s going to be good that I kill you afterwards though. Being shot in the hip makes it nigh on impossible to walk straight again. Being shot in the knee means you’ll need a walking stick and that shoulder will always hurt when it’s cold and rainy.”  
“You didn’t need to shoot me to begin with.”  
“Yes, I did. Now, answer the question.” She snapped sharply, eyes narrowing at him, lips pursing and that shaking rage coursed through her again. She waited a moment but he didn’t answer. So she shot his left hand. He swore loudly and bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood. He was trying to keep quiet as she scrutinized him. Good, he’s learning. “Aw, so many veins and bones in the hand. It’s going to be a bitch to zip your fly. Come on, now. Who sent you. Name him. Name the man who sent you to die.”  
“I,” He hissed through the pain, “I don’t know his real name.” she raised the gun again and scowled at him. He raised his right hand and spluttered in protest, panic overcoming him. “Wait, wait. I know him by his alias. He’s been watching you and your sister for quite some time. It’s how we knew where you were, where to look for the box…until you moved it.... _Berlin_.” He struggled to stand, but he managed it and slowly began to approach, an icy glint in his eyes.  
“There. Now that wasn’t too difficult to answer, was it? One more question. Just one. Does your mother know what you do for a living?” he glared at her, wincing as he tried to reach behind his back for something. She pounced. Jumping from the table and grabbing onto the ceiling light as she trapped his head between her thighs twisting and squeezing as her elbows barrelled down onto his head over and over again from above. He suffocated. Gasping for breath, flailing about and trying to grasp on to her for purchase. But she was too good at this. They’d trained her well enough. She wouldn’t release him until the last tremor and breathe had left his pathetic body. Once he stopped twitching Rena relaxed, her body releasing his from its reptilian grip. Her legs were all bloody. Bugger, I really liked these pyjamas.

She walked back into the bedroom, switching on the light. Flinging her suitcase onto the bed she glanced at the dead men beside her. Rena reached out and caressed the dark man’s face.  
“So handsome.” She tutted, “What a shame.”  
Switching her phone back on she noticed twenty missed calls from her sister. Immediately she dialled back. Elizabeth picked up after the second ring.  
“Rena, thank god! Where’ve you been? I need to tell-”  
“D’you have any idea what time it is Lilibet?”  
“Yes, it’s…oh.”  
“Yes oh. Nevertheless, I imagine what you’ve got to tell me can’t be as bad as three armed mercenaries breaking into my apartment and trying to kill me.”  
“WHAT?!”  
“I’m fine, Lilibet. Save the dramatics for when I get to you.”  
“You’re coming over?”  
“Well, I’m not staying here, as much as I love the motherland.”  
“Thank god. That means I don’t have to persuade you.”  
“Persuade me?”  
“Yes. Rena, something’s happened. Something bad and it involves the two of us.”  
“Me?”  
“Yes. You know how today was my first day at work?”  
“Yes. Congratulations. Did you get the hamper?”  
“Fortnum and Mason? Yes, I loved it. I’ve had to hide it away from Tom.”  
“You were saying.”  
“I woke up late and I was going to have to rush to make it. But the second we left a helicopter and all these other feds arrived. Apparently some criminal on the most wanted list just walked in and handed himself in after avoiding law enforcement for twenty years.” Rena froze. Her stomach dropped and she closed her eyes. She gulped, swallowing her nausea.  
“What’s that got to do with us Lilibet?”  
“That’s just it. He wants to make a deal. Be an informant. But he has terms. Lots of ‘em. And the most important one? He’ll only speak to you and me.”  
“Sounds a little high maintenance if you ask me.” Rena smirked a little as she heard Elizabeth laugh.  
“Yeah, he’s got an ego alright.”  
“A name would be helpful Lilibet. When I get off that plane I’m dropping my luggage off at the house and diving straight in.”  
“I’ll pick you up. I know you and Tom aren’t exactly best friends –”  
“You mean that I hate his guts, sure.”  
“Rena.”  
“I know. I’ll be nice until I find my own place. I know you love him very much.”  
“I love you too. It’ll be nice to have you back. I miss you all the time.”  
“A name please Lilibet.”  
“Raymond Reddington.”  
Rena hung up. _This is going to be a rough ride_.


	2. The Woman with Three Lives.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rena travels from London to Washington D.C. and reunites with Red and her sister, reminiscing along the way, and backstories are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the Blacklist. It belongs to Jon Bokenkamp (and NBC?). The only character I can claim as my own is Rena.  
> I do not own the Christmas carol from the beginning of this chapter. 
> 
> Timeline is a little off so that I can add Rena in.

Rena leaned back against the headrest. She’d done it. She’d successfully and regrettably left London behind. It broke her heart to do so. She couldn’t bear to look out the window. It was all too painful for her. London was her home. Her real home. Not Nebraska. It’s not that she wasn’t grateful to Sam. Nor did she regret his good care of her. After all, she'd gained Elizabeth. But she’d been denied her home and identity from birth. It bothered her that she had to leave just as she was settling in.

*****

_21 st December 1992_

_“O holy night the stars are brightly shining,_

_It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth;_

_Long lay the world in sin and error pining,_

_Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth._

_A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,_

_For yonder breaks a new glorious morn…”_

_Sam glances out of the church’s windows. Through the stained glass, he can see the snow falling thickly through the rich colours. He smiles. Lizzy is going to be so excited when she sees it. He looks down at the little girl snuggles beside him, her burnt bunny rabbit in hand as she watches the choristers sing their carol. It had been years since he’d been to a carol service. But this was his life now. A nice normal life. For her. For Elizabeth. That was the promise he made. And he intended to keep it. She was a sweet little thing, his butterball. _

_“Fall on your knees,_

_O hear the angels’ voices!_

_O night divine!_

_O night when Christ was born._

_O night,_

_O holy night,_

_O night divine….”_

_She knocked on the door. Where the heaven was he? It was cold. The snow lay thick on the ground beneath her boots. How was it that just when she was in need of him he wasn’t in? and she’d been well informed that he lived a relatively average life now thanks to little Masha being delivered unto him. Although, she supposed she would have to call her Elizabeth now. And she wouldn’t go to Red. They’d all been thick as thieves. Red, Sam, and herself. They were like brothers to her. But she needed safety. And safety meant Sam. The silver blonde-haired woman shivered in the icy breeze. How am I going to even tell him? How am I going to explain? He’ll want to know everything. They both will. Her icy grey eyes studied the neighborhood behind her as she sat slumped against the door. The golden glow of the streetlamps filtered the image in a picturesque postcard homey feel. Like the background of a family Christmas card. The snow thick in inches on the ground. Some children halfway down the road were building snowmen and instigating snowball fights. She found it all disgustingly normal. She shivered and hugged her fur coat around her tightly. Bastard doesn’t look like he’ll be back soon. She sighed. Well, there’s nothing else for it **.**_ _Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her old lock picking kit. A gift from her older brother. She bit her lip, concentrating in the cold. She smiled in triumph when she heard the click of the lock before she grabbed her bag and wondered into the warmth of the house. She caught a glance of a little girl’s pair of slippers by the door. Her heart ached and she felt tears well in her eyes. She blinked hard and cleared her throat before wondering through to the living room. She flung her coat off and was just about to sit down when she felt a gush of water between her thighs. Grey eyes widened and she gasped glancing down in shock. Oh, bugger. She had to lean over her bump a little bit before she saw it. The pool of liquid on the floor. But I’m not due for another week yet. _

_“Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming;_

_With glowing hearts by cradle we stand:_

_So, led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,_

_Here come the wise men from Orient land,_

_The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger,_

_In all our trials born to be our friend…”_

_Sam was becoming restless as he sat beside Lizzy. He shifted his legs every couple of minutes and exhales every now and then. Out of the corner of his eye he shoots a filthy look at his sister, June. It was she who had persuaded him into attending this time. Elizabeth was seven now. She’d been going to these services with Auntie June alone for the past three years. But this time they’d both insisted that ‘Daddy’ should come along too. Sam glances out of the window again and shifts a little. He can’t place it. But something isn’t right. Glancing at the time – 18:55 – he sighs again. Five minutes and this torture can be over. He can practically hear Red laughing. ‘Torture?’ he would laugh, ‘No, Sam. This is beautiful.’ Sam shook his head. That man could find beauty in almost everything. He could make something awful sound so exquisite. Sam looked down at Elizabeth. Her head was beginning to bob a little bit and her eyes drooped ever so slightly. He sent another dirty look to June. Elizabeth and he had had big plans for tonight. They were going to watch The Grinch and make a gingerbread house. _

_“He knows our need,_

_To our weakness no stranger!_

_Behold your King!_

_Before Him lowly bend!_

_Behold your King!_

_Your King!_

_Before him lowly bend!”_

_She cried out when the first contraction hit. She was in the middle of the living room surrounded by Christmas decorations. Snowglobes scattered across the mantelpiece, a tree full of baubles and tinsel with a garish star on the top. Christmas movies by the television set. She tried to stay quiet as she lowered herself onto the floor and shuffled backward until her back was pressed against the wall. She grabbed her coat and tried to make herself as comfortable as possible and grumbled in discomfort when a second contraction hit. She swore under her breath. Sweat beaded on her brow in the warm room. A pale slender hand caressed her pregnant belly and she whispered, “Please, sweetheart. Mummy isn’t quite ready yet. Please. Just wait till uncle Sam gets back.” She felt the baby kick where her hand was and she breathed through the pain as her muscles tightened again. Samuel Scott, where are you? _

_“Truly He taught us to love one another;_

_His law is Love and His gospel is Peace;_

_Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,_

_And in his name all oppression shall cease,_

_Sweet hymns of joy in grateful Chorus raise we;_

_Let all within us praise his Holy name!”_

_Sam held Elizabeth’s hand as they walked back home from the church. He was relieved it was over. One more moment of that and I think I would have screamed **.** He smiled as Elizabeth squealed in delight at the snowmen decorating their street. _

_“Look, Daddy. It’s Frosty!”_

_“We’ll build one tomorrow, butterball.”_

_“Yay!!!”_

_Elizabeth babbled on until they reached the end of their drive. Sam froze. There were boot prints in the fresh snow._

_“Look, Daddy, someone posted us a Christmas card.”_

_No. There are no footprints leading away from the house **.** Placing himself in front of Elizabeth he walks cautiously towards the house. The living room lights are on. But only the gentle glow from the tree lights. he leaned forwards and examined the lock. After a moment of scrutinizing them, he grumbled before he found himself relaxing. There’s only one person I know who can pick a lock without leaving so much as a scratch **.** Opening the door, he ushers Elizabeth in and removes her coat and shoes. The little girl slips on her slippers and before he can stop her she skips into the sitting room where he hears her let out a little yelp. Sam runs after her, shoes still on, until he sees her. She’s stood beside the sofa. Blocking whatever it is she can see. _

_“Daddy. I think we should call a doctor.”_

_“Christ is the Lord, then ever! Ever we praise we!_

_His pow’r and glory, evermore proclaim!_

_His pow’r and glory, evermore proclaim!”_

_Sam yelped when he saw her. Lizzy stared at her in shock, though she didn’t seem too alarmed. Sam closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He needed a moment to process exactly what he was looking at._

_“I would scold you for breaking into my house, Anastasia, but it looks as though we have a bigger crisis on our hands.”_

_“Hello, Elizabeth isn’t it?” Elizabeth nods at her, a small smile pulling at her lips._

_“Daddy, we should call a doctor. Something is happening to her tummy.”_

_“How did you get on a plane, Nastia? You’re ready to pop!”_

_“I used Red. Got one of his planes to bring me in.” She groaned a little as she repressed the pain of her contraction, “And before you ask, no, he doesn’t know I’m pregnant.”_

_“What’s pregnant?” Elizabeth pulls a face at the word she doesn’t understand._

_“It means that I’m going to have a baby, sweetheart.”_

_“Oh. Does it hurt? I can hold your hand if it does.” Elizabeth walks round to sit beside Anastasia and grabs hold of her hand._

_“Yes, sweetheart.” Anastasia smiles at her and stroked her thumb over the little girl’s hand._

_“Who’s the father?” his tone rises._

_“Not now!” Anastasia yells back at Sam._

_“Elizabeth, butterball I need you to grab me the home phone ok?” The little girl nodded as she ran out of the room._

_“That’s her?” Anastasia asked. Sam nodded, “She’s beautiful. I’m so glad she’s safe.”_

_“We can discuss Elizabeth-”_

_“Masha.”_

_“For all intents and purposes, she is now Elizabeth.”_

_“I prefer Masha.”_

_“Red doesn’t.”_

_“Red isn’t here.”_

_“He will be when he hears about you.” Sam snaps. “We can discuss Elizabeth later. Right now we need to focus on you.”_

_“I’ll be fine once she’s out of me.”_

_“A girl?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Congratulations.”_

_“Thank you.” She smiles and takes his breath away._

_“Seriously Nastia, why are you here?”_

_“I-” she cut herself off as she hunched forwards and let out a guttural groan. Sam yelled for Elizabeth and she came through holding the house phone as he rubbed Anastasia’s back._

_“Daddy, I called the ambulance. I told them that the lady was going to have a baby.”_

_“Are they still there, butterball.”_

_“Yes. They want to know the address.”_

_“Ok thanks butterball.” He takes the phone from her, “Hi, yeah, my sister is having a baby. I didn’t know she was due. She’s visiting for Christmas. We were out at the carol service so she let herself in. yeah…yeah…no. ok.” He leaves the room and she hears him say, “Our address is….”_

_“Are you ok? Do you need a drink? I didn’t know you were Daddy and Auntie June’s sister.”_

_“I’m fine sweetheart. Don’t worry about me. We’ll let daddy worry do that.” Elizabeth giggled at that and Anastasia winked at her, a warm smile gracing her face. “Yes,” She lied, “I’m daddy’s little sister.”_

_“Are you having a girl?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Good. I like girls. We can be friends then.”_

_“That sounds lovely, sweetheart.”_

_“I don’t have many friends.” Elizabeth sounded so forlorn. Anastasia’s heart melted a little at her._

_“Well, I’m sure you and my little baby will be the best of friends.”_

_Sam re-entered the room, hanging up the phone._

_“Butterball, the ambulance will be here soon. I’ve called Aunt June. You’re going to have a sleepover tonight.”_

_“But daddy,” She whined, “I want to stay with Auntie Nastia.”_

_“Elizabeth.” He warned. Anastasia shot him a chilling look when she saw Elizabeth’s eyes water. He looked down._

_“It’s ok.” Anastasia smiled at her. “Tell you what, why don’t you go and stay with Auntie June, and in the morning you can come straight back to see her.”_

_“Ok. Will you be alright?”_

_“I’m going to be just fine, sweetheart.”_

_It was five minutes later that Elizabeth left to stay with her Auntie June – whom Sam had persuaded to go along with the lie about Anastasia. She was not happy. Sam shut the door as he waved at Elizabeth as they drove down the street in a monster jeep. Anastasia groaned again as a contraction hit. _

_“Crap. Sam!” She squawked, “I can feel her. I want to push.” His eyes widened and he found himself running to her side._

_“Alright. The ambulance will be here any second. We need to get you into the bathtub.” As he lifted her into his arms with ease._

_“I’ll break you.” She protested weakly._

_“Nonsense.” He chuckled. “I’m a man in his prime.” Anastasia snorted but soon whined in agony at the pain she felt in her uterus_

_“I really want to push.”_

_“I know.” He kicked the bathroom door open and set her down for a moment. He started the bath as she kicked off her jeans and removed her underwear._

_“Why are you here?” he murmured staring into the water as it rose and swirled and filled the tub._

_“I had to leave. London wasn’t safe.”  
_

_“Meaning?”_

_“Charles got himself into something dangerous with the government. They disagreed. I think he’s dead. They think he told me something.” She slowly climbed into the bath. She hissed until she found a comfortable position in which to push._

_“Christ Nastia!” his gaze shot up to hers and he looked away a moment later, blushing._

_“I had to come here. I wasn’t going to go back to Russia. Not after everything that happened with Katarina and Masha. America was the only safe place.” She was being secretive on the details. His patience was wearing thin. Why are my two best friends the most dangerous people in the world?_

_“Nastia I need you-”_

_“I’m going to die.” The finality of her words chilled his blood. physically he paled and dropped the door key he was holding onto the floor. Its clatter against the tile was the loudest sound in the room. He stared at her, jaw agape for a long minute before;_

_“What?! No. you’re going to be fine.”_

_“Sam, please. I need you to listen to me.” She grasped his face in her hands and he closed his eyes at the warmth and softness of them. He resisted the urge to lean into her touch. “Charles is dead. I’m going to die very soon. I can’t have my little girl going to an orphanage…. I can’t have Red knowing about her yet either.”_

_“Are you kidding? He’d protect her with his life.”_

_“I know. But she’d be a weakness. And in constant danger.” Sam looked as though he was going to attempt to argue with her until she grabbed his hands and squeezed, a roar escaping her. Leaning down he kissed her forehead and soothed her as best he could._

_“What do you need?”_

_“I know you have Ma-Elizabeth. But would you be able to take my baby too?” She rested her head on her arm against the side of the tub as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She looked so tired…. still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. but very tired._

_“Of course, Nastia. I’d do anything for you.”_

_“Thank you……Oh, look. The ambulance is here.” The sound of sirens could be heard through the house. Anastasia slumped as Sam left to let them in._

_Half an hour later and the sound of a baby’s cries could be heard from within the bathroom. She entered the world kicking and screaming. A little warrior **.**_

**** _Half an hour after, Anastasia died from ‘complications’ during birth. Sam was heartbroken as he picked up the baby from within her limp arms. He stared at her. Really stared at her. His Anastasia. Icy blonde hair in a side plait. Angelic oval-shaped face angled up at him. A soft ghost of a smile traced on her full lips. Grey eyes staring endlessly into his own soul. He felt as though she could see through him if she was alive. Agony roiled through him. The baby shared his anguish. She screamed as he delicately lifted her, head turned towards her mother. He rocked her comfortingly as best he could. A strange calm overcoming him as he looked at the baby…. Rena. _

_It was three days later and after the funeral that it happened. The door knocked. Sam’s blood chilled. How the hell was he going to explain everything? Elizabeth was with Aunt June. It was mid-afternoon and Rena was due to wake up from her nap any minute. Straightening himself up, Sam adjusts his tie as he walks to the door. He already knows who it is, that’s why he needs a moment to brace himself before he flings the pathetic piece of wood open. _

_“Hello, Sam.” Red stands in an all-black suit and matching fedora. His eyes are bloodshot and there are bags beneath them._

_“I knew you’d come.” Sam opens the door in an invitation to him._

_“Is Elizabeth in?” Red hesitates with his foot on the doorstep._

_“No. You’re lucky. You missed her. She’s with June.” not a moment later and Red is inside the house removing his coat and his shoes. He hangs his fedora on the hat stand and removes his suit jacket as he wonders through to the living room._

_“How is she?”_

_“She’s well. You’d be proud.”_

_“Sam… I heard.” The abruptness with which he broached the elephant in the room caused Sam to stop in his tracks momentarily. The events of the last couple of days flashed across his lids and he grabbed onto the banister for support._

_“ Oh.” He regained his composure and joined Red in the living room. the new father chose to sit in the chair across from the still-standing notorious criminal. _

_“Anastasia. How did it happen?”_

_“You might want to sit down.”_

_“Why doesn’t that reassure me?”_

_….._

_“Can I see her?”_

_“Elizabeth?”_

_“No. Rena.”_

_“Red….”_

_“Please, Sam. I’d like to see her.”_

_“She didn’t want you to know her yet.”_

_“What?! Why?!”_

_“She trusted you. Of course, she did. She knew you’d protect her like you are Elizabeth. But she wanted Rena to have a normal childhood.”_

_“Sam. Please. I need to see her.”_

_Sam stared straight at Red. He’d never heard him plead before. And he never would again. Suddenly on the table beside him, the baby monitor came to life. The two men heard her whimpering a little as she was roused from her slumber. Sam shot up and looked at Red as he exited the room._

_“One minute.”_

_Less than sixty seconds later and Sam had returned rocking a new-born baby girl in his arms. Carefully he maneuvered her so she and Red could see each other. Instantly she stopped whimpering as she stared at the criminal._

_“Rena.” Sam whispered to her, “I’d like you to meet Raymond. He was one of your mommy’s friends.”_

_“Sam, sh-she's…. beautiful.” Red stuttered as he looked upon her. Sam stared. Raymond Reddington never stuttered. _

_“Yes, she’s a wonderful little weirdo. She’s decided she’ll only sleep if she can hear The Beatles playing.” Sam swallowed his shock and chuckled at the tiny little baby in his arms._

_“How is Elizabeth with her?”_

_“They’re inseparable. Elizabeth is very protective of her. She only agreed to go with June because Rena was napping.” His words caused Red to smile momentarily and when he did the little baby made a light noise._

_“Sam. I wonder if- if I might hold her.” He didn’t take his eyes off her once as he asked the question. Sam had to stifle a laugh. The ever feared Concierge of Crime was mesmerized by a baby…and vice versa._

_“Of course, Red.” Carefully he deposited Rena into Red’s waiting arms. She didn’t seem at all distressed as she had been when June attempted to cuddle her. Sam watched intrigued to see what happened next. Rena grabbed onto his waiting finger with both her hands and he gently swayed her as he walked them over to the Christmas tree. After a moment of thought, he looked down at her and smiled._

_“Hello, little Rena. Goodness, look at you.” Sam noticed that Rena seemed to enjoy the low rumble and vibration of his voice. He watched her eyes flutter close as she turned her head toward him. “You were blown into the world at a very brutal time of year. But winter babies are tough babies. I have no doubt you’ll be amazing. Just like your mother. You and Elizabeth will stick together. Of that, I have no doubt. But I want you to know, little one, that even though you don’t know me yet, I will always take care of you and Elizabeth. I’ll always be there and I’ll always protect you.” He rocked her slowly to sleep again as he spoke. His words filled with promises. There seemed a comfortable and pleasant silence settled in the air around them. When he was sure Rena was asleep Red addressed Sam. “What will you tell her.”_

_“About her parents?” Red nods, “The truth. The lawyers in London have taken action to protect all Nastia and Charles’s assets. The houses, the companies, the place in parliament. All of it frozen and protected until she is ready to take her place, should she choose to do so.”_

_“No resistance?” Red questioned curiously._

_“Well, some. Charles’s brother threw a fit. An American raising his niece, even the notion…and ‘what about her education?’ Public school? Oh and then ‘what about Oxford?’ but don’t worry, Nastia’s lawyers soon shut him up.” Sam chuckled. Red rolled his eyes knowingly. He leaned his lips against Rena’s sleeping ear and whispered._

_“Don’t worry, little one, let Sam and I deal with your uncle. We won’t let him chain you to England if you don’t want him to.” He kissed her forehead and handed her back to Sam. Five minutes later he was gone without a trace._

_****_

Rena closed her eyes as she watched the plane glide over the rough blue of the Atlantic, she could hear Elizabeth over and over.

“Raymond Reddington.”

“Raymond ‘Red’ Reddington.”

“Raymond.”

“Red.”

“Reddington.”

She could remember him like it was yesterday. But it wasn’t. It had been a year. One long, excruciating year. Her eyelids fluttered as she pictured him…. arms wrapped protectively around her, lips passionately claiming her own, between her thighs consuming and possessing her. His forehead pressed against her. His taste lingering on her tongue; cigars and whisky and him. The scent of him surrounding her. His large hands holding her to him, grasping her throat, caressing her face. His tongue against her skin, between her thighs, tangled with her own. The softness of his hair when she clutched the back of his head closer to her. His teeth as they tugged her earlobe, bit her lip, tore at her throat. His eyes, oh gods, his sparkling eyes. Watching her. Studying her. Worshipping her. Whenever they were together his eyes never left hers. His nose brushing against hers delicately, burying into the crook of her neck. Fingers caressing her hair and entwining with hers. His voice. That deep rich voice whispering and moaning everything from delectable filth to sweet nothings in her ear. Him. She could remember his possessiveness of her. It was something she’d found addictive. It was a good possessiveness. He’d never once hurt her and she knew he never would. His attention was always with her. The center of his universe. It was borderline obsession.

Rena had met Raymond Reddington in London during her first year at Oxford. She’d been visiting her Uncle Bertie and Aunt Astoria – easily the two most bigoted people in the world. She’d stopped at the Royal Geographical Society to see her father’s work. Red, unbeknownst to Rena, had been doing the same, reminiscing with Dembe over an old friend.

****

_“You should have seen him after a drink, Dembe.” He chuckled, staring down at the picture in the book with fondness. “What a party animal! He couldn’t dance to save his life, looked like a drunk giraffe.”_

_A raven haired girl with skin as pale as ice and soft as silk walked with purpose into the room. Dembe observed her, sure that he’d seen her before. She was a short but slim woman, the black material of her summer dress clung to her hourglass figure. She was carrying what looked like a well-used diary. Subtly, Dembe alerted Red to the woman in question, who was now looking amongst the books and film herself in search of her father’s work. Red turned, wondering what it was that his friend was concerned about until he saw her. Dembe heard his breath hitch._

_“Raymond?” He asked lowly._

_“It-it’s her.” He whispered, enraptured. “What a beauty she’s grown into, Dembe. I haven’t seen her since she was a baby.”_

_“Elizabeth?” Dembe asked._

_“No…Rena. Elizabeth’s adopted sister. Charles’s daughter.” Red smiled as he observed her. A small frown on her face as she concentrated. Her elegant fingers and claw-like nails delicately dancing across the shelves as she searched for what she was looking for. Red had a rough idea that it must have been the book he currently held in his hand._

_Rena frowned when she couldn’t find the book with her father’s expeditions inside it. She’d been looking forward to reading his adventures rather than hear Uncle Bertie criticize and insult them. Turning on her heel she begins to make her way to the archive manager in the hopes she could find it that way. Unfortunately, she doesn’t get any further than five steps before she stumbles into someone._

_“I’m so sorry.” Apologizing profusely, she doesn’t notice the handsome smile on his face. “I didn’t mean to-”_

_“Not at all. Don’t apologize.” His voice is deep, sonorous, but at the same time very sensual. It sent a shiver through her. Glancing up she sees a tall man in a sharp suit with a fedora adorning his head. He’s about her father’s age. But extraordinarily handsome. There’s something charming in his manner. Something seductive in his hypnotic eyes and something irresistible in his smile. He smells delicious too…and familiar. Very familiar. Everything about him screams dangerous to her instincts. Yet in spite of it, he caused her heart to flutter and her cheeks to flush a little. She nervously bit her lip and avoided the penetrating gaze he gave her. He looked…like he wanted to eat her. Her stomach filled itself with bats performing flying formations in the night sky. “It was my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going. I’m Raymond by the way, Raymond Reddington.” He took her hand in his large rough one and lifted it to his lips in an old fashioned kiss. Heat swam through her from his touch and she nearly jumped. His lips were soft and gentle, pressing the lightest of butterfly kisses to her knuckles. _

_“Rena.” She looked down, blushing._

_“What a beautiful name. Did you know it means Joy in Hebrew?” he watched as she shook her head a little, mesmerized by him. He seemed so familiar and so strange all at once. Dembe resisted the urge to laugh. “Well, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance Rena. I was just on my way to return this book.” He lifted the book she’d been searching for into view. Rena’s eyes widened. He made to move past her when she spoke._

_“You’re interested in the expeditions of Charles Brandon?” she asked, flabbergasted. He smiled and nodded._

_“Yes, why?”_

_“He was my father.” She smiled sadly._

_“Well, I never.” He faked shock as best as he could._

_“I actually came in to look for that book. Would you mind if I take it?”_

_“Not at all darling, it’s all yours.” He handed her the book and his fingers brushed hers. A spark ran through the two of them. Rena’s breath hitched._

_“If you don’t mind me asking, what drew your attention to my father’s work?”_

_“I like exploring and I love adventure. Your father was one of the best.” He looked down for a moment and she could have sworn he looked nervous. Despite his answer being satisfactory enough, Rena sensed that he was holding something back. He intrigued her. That was an achievement in itself. ninety-nine point nine percent of humanity were so boring these days. Dembe’s jaw hit the floor. Never in a million years did he think he’d see Raymond Reddington transform into a stuttering schoolboy. “Rena, would you mind awfully if I took you to dinner one day?”_

_The raven-haired woman bit her lip for a moment as she pretended to think about it before she nodded._

_“Yes. I think I’d like that.”_

_*****_

Since that day the concierge of crime had done a magnificent job of wooing her. Rena had fallen hard for the criminal. She couldn’t say how it happened, only that she was spending more and more time with a handsome man who treated her like a goddess, a man who made her laugh and shared knowledge with her. A man whose company she immensely enjoyed…. until one day they weren’t just a man and a woman anymore. They were lovers, and Rena couldn’t understand how it hadn’t happened sooner because it felt so right, so natural. They were inseparable….and secretive. Rena did a good job of hiding her relationship from her Uncle. They’d had a couple of close calls, but the effect had been most exhilarating. The relationship lasted two years…and then she screwed everything up and ran away. She’d hidden well. Rena supposed that had been Red’s only mistake, he’d taught her how to disappear…even from him. She’d been terrified, half expecting him to hunt her down and kill him. But when Dembe and Kate finally found her, instead of pressing a gun to her head, they pleaded with her.

*****

_“Why did you leave him?”_

_“….to protect him.”_

_“Rena, you’ve just up and left the most dangerous and violent man in the world. A man who worships you. A man who will most likely start a war to get you back to him.”_

_“I’m not worth that, Dembe.”_

_“To him you are.”_

_“He needed you.” Kate murmured. “He came home after one of the worst days of his life. He cried out for you. He wanted you. Only you...and you weren’t there.”_

_“I-”_

_“We’ve never seen him like that in all the time we’ve known him. You broke him, Rena. But strangely enough, you have the power to fix it.”_

_“I can’t…I’m the reason it happened, Dembe. He’s better off without me.”_

_“Rena, you mustn’t say such things.”_

_“D’you think I’m enjoying this?” she asked. The two of them shook their heads. It was obvious from how unwell she looked that being without Red was damaging to her health. But she soldiered on regardless. “I hate it. I hate it so much. All I want is to come home to him, but I can’t.”_

_*****_

That had been seven months ago. She’d left him a year ago. Safe to conclude that it had been the worst and most miserable year of her life. She’d struggled and cried, and kept it all to herself because besides Newton, Kate, Luli, and Dembe; no one else in the world had known about her relationship with Red.

And yet here she was, en route to America, because he’d seen fit to dramatically reappear into her life and decided to drag her sister into it too. _Why now?_ Rena clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut tightly. _Just when I was getting my life back together_. She bashed her head back against her seat and unleashed a little growl. No matter how much she had missed him, that man was in for a world of pain. _The cheek of it, bringing Lilibet into this mess, being a prima donna and demanding my presence. Summoning me like a king from his high fortress_. She conjured up and amusing image of the FBI agents in servants’ clothes scurrying about a world-sized castle doing as he bid them. It almost made her laugh. Rena glanced at the plane progression on the screen in front of her. Seven and a half hours to go. Sticking her headphones on and shutting her window, she sticks The Avengers on and attempts to forget what awaits her at her destination.

The landing had been so rough she’d practically bounced out of her seat when the plane collided with the tarmac. Fortunately, Elizabeth had been there to collect her, along with some FBI suit with a sullen if not suspicious expression and a shock of red hair. He greeted her with as much politeness and friendliness as a sullen teenager after being grounded. She hadn’t missed the glare Elizabeth had shot at him when she arrived. Ressler, she’d never forget his name. Donald Ressler. The very same man who tried to kill Red a year ago. The second he introduced himself she had to fight to keep her expression blank in spite of the rage swirling within. Instead of killing him right there on the spot as she desired to do, she smiled sweetly and stuck out her hand for him to shake. Even if she had grasped it too hard she remained approachable and friendly. She watched with pleasure when she saw him wince before a concoction of mistrust and curiosity bubbled in his iris’s. _He needs to control his emotions more._ It was no wonder that Red had evaded him for five years. This boy was no match for Raymond Reddington.

The drive to Elizabeth and Tom’s house was as riveting as staring at a wall for three hours. Ressler was a real mood killer between the sisters. Not that they weren’t excited to see one another, they were, Elizabeth had pulled Rena into the tightest hug she could before they’d left the airport. But Ressler dampened their excitement. A metaphorical representation of the elephant in the room. after a stop at the house to drop off her case, freshen off and pretend to be nice to Tom Rena was on her way to the blacksite. Elizabeth told her that Agent Cooper would catch her up once they arrived.

Agent Harrold Cooper was far more approachable than Ressler. It certainly helped that she didn’t want to kill him. He appeared fatherly and reassuring, asking for her help and co-operation rather than demanding it. Rena acquiesced and followed him into his office. He loaded CCTV footage on his computer and spun his screen to show her.

“Yesterday, one of the most evasive criminal masterminds on the most wanted list handed himself in.” As he spoke she watched it play out. She bit her cheek to stop from laughing. _Of course. Only Red would be dramatic enough to walk into the FBI and hand himself in in front of all those civilians._ “He’s given us the name of a criminal we’ve thought to be dead who is actually alive and promised us his help in exchange for an immunity deal, but his most important conditions are that he speaks only to you and your sister, Elizabeth. To my knowledge, neither of you have had prior contact with Reddington.” Rena nearly laughed. “and given your position in British Intelligence, I’m inclined to believe that. I’m asking for your help, Lady Brandon.”

“I can help you once. But after this, without his deal and without a contract I cannot remain to aid you. British Intelligence has bigger fish to fry than Reddington.”

“Excellent.” He said, standing up and heading for the door. “Thank you very much for your co-operation, Lady Brandon. The Cage is the door just across the room.” he pointed. Rena nodded, smiling as she watched him head out before she exhaled and played the remainder of the footage they had on Red. The name he’d given was Ranko Zamani. Rena looked through the case file Cooper had collected on Zamani. After a couple of minutes, she’d caught up. Leaning back in the chair she stared at the clock on the wall, willing time to stop. _Time to go see him, then._ Even after she thought it she didn’t move. The truth was that she was too pre-occupied with the terrifying prospect and the inevitable emotional consequences of seeing him again to move. She’d been a wreck at the beginning. Rena had soldiered on and fought through her feelings for Red in the year she had been without him. It was hard, after all, they’d been inseparable. They’d ingrained each other so deeply into each other’s lives. Rena had hoped that she’d succeeded in numbing her feelings for him. Now she was faced with the possibility that she’d failed.

“You got this, Rena. Come on, get it together.” Tugging at the end of her braid Rena stands up and leaves Cooper’s office. The door slams loudly beneath the strength of her hand using more force than she usually would. When she releases he handle her palms are cold and clammy and her hands shake a little. Frustrated, she clenches them into fists as she walks with determination towards the Cage quarters of the site. She can’t see anything at first. The door she opens leads into the intel room. twenty to thirty people are sat in front of laptops monitoring and gathering all sorts of intel. The tapping of finger pads against keyboards causes her to grit her teeth. She scowls as agent Ressler notices her. She fights the overwhelming desire she has to snap his neck. _Just because he nearly killed Red doesn’t mean he’s a bad person._ He nodded towards the window. Hesitantly she approaches it just enough to see. Looking down, she sees Elizabeth sat on a chair waiting patiently for something. In front of her, strapped to a chair sits the man she’s been avoiding for two years. Neither of them notices her. She’s stood far enough back that they can’t see her from their angle.

“Well. Here I am.” She heard Elizabeth say in the cage.

“You got rid of your highlights.” He chuckles. “You look much less Baltimore. Do you get back home much?”

“Tell me about Zamani.”

“I haven’t been home in years.”

“Why involve us? We’re nobody. It’s my first day and my sister has just arrived from London. Nothing special about us.”

“ _Oh_ , I think you and your sister are very special…. Where is Rena?” He asked. The rumble of his voice sent shivers through her as she approached the door beside Cooper that descended into the Cage. He halted her, interested to hear how far Elizabeth could take the conversation without involving Rena.

“You’ll never trick him, agent Cooper. He’s asking for me. And unless he sees me he’s not going to say a word to my sister about Ranko Zamani.” Agent Cooper opened his mouth to suggest otherwise when Elizabeth spoke from within the Cage again.

“She’s just arrived,” Elizabeth said. “She’ll be joining us any minute now.” Rena took the opportunity to push past Cooper and type in the code to open the door.

“Good.” He relaxed. Elizabeth made a mental note. _He physically relaxed at the mention of Rena_.

“How do you know my sister?” she asked. Red only smiled at her. Elizabeth was about to open her mouth when the door opened behind her. _Maybe this’ll get me some answers._

Rena wandered into the room. She observed as Elizabeth gestured to the chair beside her with a smile. But she caught the way her older sister’s eyes flit between herself and the ‘Concierge of Crime’. Rena straightened her back, ignoring her sister and fought her instincts towards Red as best she can. At first, she refused to look directly at him despite his unyielding stare but the air around them becomes charged with more and more tension. Until…

“ _Rena._ ” It escaped his lips as a breathless sigh as his eyes washed over her. His gaze pierced her. Soaking up her image in a way that made her toes curl in delight. His voice made her heart flutter and she found herself scowling at herself in self-disgust. “My darling. You look more beautiful with each passing day.”

 _Fuck, I’ve missed him_.


End file.
